17/02/2010

State Urban Administration minister Babulal Gaur has said that he was upset because a poor man's shanty was razed to ensure that Vice-President's chopper landed near the Mandu fort but the mediamen failed to question Gaur's moral right to make such a statement.

Just a week ago an entire slum cluster was shifted from near Habibganj crossing and the residents had to spend the cold night in open. They were relocated 14 km outside the City, without ever giving a thought that how would the poor walk this distance to go to their workplaces or whether there was any dispensary or school nearby.

Gaur has razed thousands of shanties and poor men's houses and at least he has no moral right to speak for the poor. Yes, many poor residents live in shanties on encorached lands as they have no option.

But land mafia, hoteliers, big business owners and all so-called prominent citizens including bureaucrats who construct or extend houses illegally, pay extra money as compounding fee and get it legalised.

The poor can be kicked out and their houses demolished. And the joke is that the 'demolition minister' takes moral high-ground and even plays politics over it. But what does the newspapers do? They also speak for the rich, or partly the affluent middle-class.

The BJP should have learnt from Congress' that achieved success because of pro-poor schemes like NREGA. But State BJP's anti-poor actions would only make it further unpopular, and the party might have to pay for it in the next Assembly elections.

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